一種用于小動(dòng)物的掃描設(shè)備現(xiàn)在用于鑒別人類(lèi)嬰兒的大腦疾病。

微型PET掃描在動(dòng)物中使用已經(jīng)有一段時(shí)間。較大型的微型PET掃描儀已經(jīng)在兒童和成人中使用，但是當(dāng)用于嬰兒的時(shí)候并不精確。Harry Chugani博士是美國(guó)Hutzel醫(yī)院的放射科醫(yī)生，已經(jīng)開(kāi)始使用動(dòng)物影像檢查儀，其大小與一臺(tái)小冰箱差不多，來(lái)評(píng)估只有2磅左右的嬰兒大腦中的化學(xué)物質(zhì)。

Chugani博士 已經(jīng)在California-Los Angeles大學(xué)中開(kāi)始動(dòng)物實(shí)驗(yàn)。他現(xiàn)在是Michigan兒童醫(yī)院PET中心的主任。

該設(shè)備最近獲得了美國(guó)食品藥品管理局的批準(zhǔn)。Chugani博士得到了這些設(shè)備中的一種，從2004年下半年開(kāi)始已經(jīng)在30例嬰兒中開(kāi)始了影像檢查。微型PET掃描儀已經(jīng)診斷出了某些疾病，例如癲癇發(fā)作的來(lái)源，或者腦癱癥狀和其它大腦疾病。他同時(shí)還希望使用這種掃描儀來(lái)評(píng)估和預(yù)測(cè)大腦疾病，并對(duì)嬰兒大腦愈合有更多的了解。研究人員相信這種新型影像檢查能夠?qū)雰捍竽X疾病提供新型檢查與治療。

Small Scanner for Infant Use
 
A scanning device created for use on small animals is now helping to identify brain disorders in human infants.

Micro-positron emission tomography (PET) imaging has been used for quite a while only on animals. A larger type of the micro-PET scanner has been used on children and adults but is imprecise when used on infants. Dr. Harry Chugani, a radiologist at the Hutzel Hospital (Detroit, MI, USA), has begun utilizing the animal imager, which is approximately the size of a small refrigerator, to evaluate the chemicals in infants’ brains weighing as little as two pounds.

Dr. Chugani has conducted animal studies at the University of California-Los Angeles (USA). He is now director of the PET Center at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

The device was recently approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Dr. Chugani acquired one of the devices and has used it perform imaging studies on 30 infants since late 2004. The micro-PET scanner has already identified problems such as the source of epileptic seizures or signs of cerebral palsy and other brain disorders. He also hopes to use the scanner to evaluate and predict mental illnesses and try to learn more about how infant brains heal. Researchers believe that this new imaging modality may provide insights into newer types of detection and treatment for infant brain disorders.